The present disclosure provides a tool assembly for use with a rotary hammer and related methods, and methods for removing frozen bolts and/or nuts. The disclosed tool assembly and related methods may be particularly useful for installing an anchor bolt into a hole in a concrete member (e.g., a wall, a floor, a ceiling). And methods disclosed herein may be particularly useful in removing a bolt and/or nut that is frozen in place due to, for example, corrosion.
Internally-threaded anchor bolts are often used to mount a structure to a concrete member. To install an anchor bolt, a holed is drilled into the concrete member to a sufficient depth to accommodate the anchor bolt. Often, the hole diameter is selected to provide a desired interference fit between the hole and the anchor bolt. Such an interference is selected such that the anchor bolt grips the interior of the hole sufficiently to securely support the mounted structure.
As such, it is often necessary to force the anchor bolt into the hole by, for example, a series of impacts. This can be a tedious process due to the hardness of concrete, especially where the process must be repeated to install large numbers of anchor bolts. The use of a hammer to manually insert the anchor bolt can take a large amount of worker time. And when the temperature of the concrete drops between when the hole is drilled and when the anchor bolt is inserted, the resulting contraction of the concrete results in increased interference, which may result in the expenditure of even more worker time to insert the anchor bolt.
Once the anchor bolt is inserted into the hole, the anchor bolt is secured to the hole by expanding the anchor bolt. The expansion of the anchor bolt is accomplished by tensioning an internal member via the rotation of an exterior nut. The tensioning of the internal member results in a radial expansion of a portion of the anchor bolt disposed within the hole, thereby generating increased compression between the anchor bolt and the interior of the hole. Rotating the exterior nut, however, like the insertion of the anchor bolt in the hole, can be a tedious process.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved tool assemblies and related methods for the installation of anchor bolts. Preferably, such tool assemblies should allow for the use of a rotary hammer that is employed to drill the hole into the wall, to insert the anchor bolt into the hole, and to rotate the exterior nut to expand the anchor bolt. And such a tool assembly should be easily engaged with a conventional rotary hammer and provide for the insertion and expansion of the anchor bolt so as to not require removal of the tool assembly from engagement with the rotary hammer between the insertion and the expansion of the anchor bolt.
Additionally, the removal of a bolt and/or nut that is frozen in place by, for example, corrosion, can be difficult. To facilitate the removal of such a frozen bolt and/or nut, an impact wrench is often used. The impact wrench applies repeated torque impulses to the bolt and/or nut. While the application of the repeated torque impulses may be sufficient to remove the bolt and/or nut in many instances, it may be insufficient in other more severe cases, or may result in the threads or external features of the bolt and/or nut being stripped.
Accordingly, there is also a need for an improved apparatus and related methods for removing a frozen bolt and/or nut. Such an improved apparatus and related methods should provide increased functionality and effectiveness relative to the use of an impact wrench to remove a frozen bolt and/or nut.